The present invention relates in general to electromechanical transducing along a path and more particularly concerns an along-path, typically linear, controllable force source for actively absorbing energy from or applying energy to a vehicle wheel support assembly moving over a rough surface so as to facilitate significantly reducing forces transmitted to the vehicle body supported on the wheel support assembly.
Electromechanical transducing may be used, for example, in vehicle suspensions. Vehicle suspensions employ a spring and shock absorber to isolate wheel motion from body motion. Some suspensions are variable and adaptive to driving conditions. For example, it is known to use electrically controlled active suspension members, such as an hydraulic piston actuator containing gas or fluid having a pressure that can be electrically controlled, to achieve a predetermined characteristic, such as a hard or soft ride, while avoiding bottoming.
An electromagnetic transducer, such as a linear actuator, can be used in place of or in combination with the springs and/or shock absorbers and can include an armature mounted within a stator as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,309 and incorporated here by reference. The armature can include bearing rails that slide within bearing trucks attached to the stator.